Mermaid's Love Song
by NamineLovedTheDream
Summary: I have seen many a KH/Little Mermaid fanfic, but how many use the original? Combined with the tale written by Hans Christian Anderson, the memorable characters of Kingdom Hearts retell his fable of Loyalty and True Love with a twist.
1. The Character List

Character List:

Kairi – Princess/Little Mermaid

Sora – Prince

Sisters - Aerith (24*)  
Tifa (22)  
Yuna (19)  
Paine (18**)  
Yuffie (18**)  
Rikku (17)

Ansem the Wise – King/Father***

Riku – Noble/Friend

Xemnas – Warlock  
Crones: Xigbar  
Xaldin  
Vexen  
Lexaeus  
Zexion  
Axel  
Demyx  
Luxord  
Saïx  
Marluxia  
Larxene  
Roxas*****  
Xion**********

Naminé – Princess****

Leon (25) – Teacher

Cloud (23) – Teacher

Minors: Cid Highwind (32) – Captain  
Selphie – Kairi's Friend  
Tidus  
Wakka  
Hayner  
Pence  
Olette  
Seifer  
Fuu  
Rai  
Vivi  
Yen Sid********  
Sephiroth – Angel (?******)  
Auron – Davy Jones (?*******)

* * *

*Aerith/Aeris' age is based off her possible age in Kingdom Hearts II/Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (had she not died in the game).

**Order of age decided based on maturity (Paine in Final Fantasy X-2 vs. Yuffie in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children).

***In the original "Little Mermaid," the sea king remarries. A motherly figure is present. However, Ansem the Wise can be seen as a fatherly figure, and Aerith/Aeris has a motherly essence to her.

****Naminé's part as a princess is a play-off of Kairi. In the original "Little Mermaid," the prince is discovered after the storm by a group of children (possibly all girls). He believes that the girl that found him also saved his life. That girl is the princess he is later engaged to. As is discovered in Kingdom Hearts, Kairi was in fact a princess and I let her Nobody carry the title to fit.

*****Roxas, though working for Xemnas, plays a deeper role (especially with Axel late in the story). He befriends Kairi (as his nature appears in Kingdom Hearts II).

******When the Little Mermaid dies, she is met by "angels" or spirits. Sephiroth made sense seeing the Lifestream idea from Final Fantasy VII and Advent Children. Though he doesn't seem proper for the angel role, I gave him a Grim Reaper (kind of) effect.

*******Davy Jones wasn't in the original. He was added for effect.

********Yen Sid became a last-minute idea. Hell, this story needed someone wiser than even Ansem when it comes to mermaids. After all, if Yen Sid could provide Sora with information on his past and future adventure; why not have met a few mermaids on his journeys?

*********In one scene, Axel refers to the Organization as the Thirteenth Order. This was the translation from the Japanese version of the Ansem Reports in Kingdom Hearts II.

**********After seeing Xion join the team, she makes an appearance and has a small roll in the story. Most of this was written and she was a final impulse. AND SHE WILL BE THE LAST!

***"Mermaid's Love Song" is based of the Hans Christian Anderson version of "The Little Mermaid" with Square-Enix's characters from the Kingdom Hearts franchise. This story is fan-made and is in no (or very little) way related to the original artists. A final warning: There is no language barrier, so there will be foul language and some suggestible scenes. Enjoy.***


	2. The Surface Above and the Fathoms Below

"Far out in the ocean the water is as blue as the petals of the most beautiful corn-flower, and as clear as the purest glass. But it is very deep – much deeper, indeed, than any cable can sound. Many steeples would have to be piled one on top of the other to reach from the bottom to the surface of the water. Down there live the sea-folk."

~ "The Little Mermaid"  
Hans Christian Anderson

* * *

Sora stared out at the foggy morning sea. The lighthouse called to them off the shore, the dolphins raced the wooden giant, and the salt awakened the soul. His good friend Riku practiced swordsmanship with their teacher, Leon. Cloud, their other teacher, offered his hand to the sailors. Sora noticed a shape in the fog.

"All hands quiet," a man called from the nest. Everyone stopped, silence falling across the vessel.

"Leon, get the boys inside," the Captain instructed. "All men to their posts. Lanterns out."

"Sora," Leon called. Riku grabbed his friend's wrist and pulled him below deck. "Stay here and keep your ears covered."

Riku placed a pillow over Sora's ears, then covered his own. Leon returned topside, locking the door behind him. The ship drifted unseen on the waves.

"Captain," he whispered. The man raised his hand. The song bounced about, the ship quiet until the echo remained. "Sir?"

"Hold," he instructed. There was a splash; he dropped his arm. "Back to work. You may bring the boys back topside."

"Yes, sir." Leon returned below and tapped Riku's shoulder. "It's safe now."

Riku went straight to the Captain. Sora followed Leon, pelting him with questions. The lanterns were relit, and the ship bound for harbor.

"Leon," Sora finally getting his attention, "why was everyone so quiet? What happened? Was it pirates?"

"Something much worse than pirates, my boy," the Captain answered. "That there was a siren's song. Sea-folk tunes."

"You mean mermaids, Highwind," Cloud called from the sails. He slid down to the deck. "You believe in that superstition?"

"Tis not superstition, Strife. Tis truth. Why else do men go to sea and never return? Demons of the sea, they are."

"And stop with that damn accent." He returned to the sails. "Believe me; there's no such thing as sirens or sea-folk."

Leon shook his head. They returned to their lesson. Sora took one more look at the sparking blue. Back on shore, Sora and Riku sat on the beach, the fog vanishing. The sea sparkled with pearls of light, cold to the touch, turning someone's feet pink. Riku sang a song on his tin pipe; similar to the song they'd escaped that morning. Sora remembered it.

"Hey, Riku." Riku placed down his pipe.

"What is it?"

"What's so dangerous about that song?"

"That's right, you don't go to sea much. Well, it's mostly sailor superstition. It's believed that a siren's song can hypnotize a man and send him to a watery grave."

"Are sirens mermaids?"

"Evil ones, but there are none around here."

"Then, where did the song come from?" A voice caught his ear. He slipped trying to stand, hoping to see the figure in the fog.

People along the beach stopped and stared at a passing group of whales. Sora stared in confusion. Riku laughed.

"That's what we heard this morning, Sora. Nothing more than a chattering pack of whales." He smiled. "See how superstition begins? People blow things out of proportion." Riku helped Sora to his feet, watching the whales talk. A face from the water caught his eye.

"What the?" Sora whispered.

"Come on. Cloud's expecting us."

Out at sea, hidden by the whales, a pair of green eyes watched the boys leave. Someone pulled her under. Five other girls surround her.

"What was that for, Tifa?" Rikku yelled.

"We need to get home," Tifa answered.

"Father's not going to be happy if we don't show for breakfast," Yuna said.

"Then we don't tell him," Paine answered. "We know you to be the truthful one."

"Aerith is going to tell Father."

"No one will have to if we hurry," Aerith said. "Yuffie put those shells back. Those are for the creatures, not us."

"Do I have to?" Yuffie whined. "Can's I keep one?"

"No, put them back. And let us be on our way."

The six sisters swam into the depths. The plants of the sea danced their strange dances in the current and fish went about their routines. They flew as fast as their tails could carry them to their room where the youngest of them still lay asleep.

"How can she still sleep?" Rikku whispered.

"Do not wake her," Aerith advised.

"Yuna, is Father awake?" Tifa asked.

"I'll go see." Yuna went to the doors and opened them slightly. "I don't think so. I don't see him."

"Then, prepare for breakfast," Aerith insisted. "I'll go see if Father's in his room. And please be gentle if you're going to wake her."

Aerith left. The sisters fixed themselves up from the early morning rush. Paine woke their youngest from her dreamful slumber.

"Hey, Kairi," Paine whispered as she shook her. "Wake up."

Kairi's bright eyes met the morning. She went to her vanity and brushed out her hair. The others shook their heads.

"Quiet as always," Yuffie said.

"Don't start," Tifa advised. "You know what tomorrow is, right?"

"Oh yeah. She'll be fifteen. I almost forgot."

"How could you forget? She only reminded us seventeen times," Rikku complained. Before they knew it, Kairi had vanished.

Ansem, King of the Sea-Folk, looked over his daughters with much care. He knew Kairi was excited about going to the surface, but he worried. He knew the stories man created that could harm them. More important, he knew the other dangers that plagued the sea. You see, he had a line of apprentices that used to watch over the girls, but they had been banished for treason.

Kairi loved, above all things, the palace gardens. For her thirteenth birthday, her sisters had given her a marble statue of a boy for a sunken ship. The statue sat under her favorite tree where her father's pets would disappear in the branches. She was quiet and mostly kept to herself. The only person she would talk to was their father.

Ansem often told her stories of the surface world; she always fascinated and asked questions as often as she could. That morning, he found her under her favorite tree with her seashell charm in hand.

"Sailor use those charms for luck," he said with a smile.

"I know, Father," she smiled back. He sat beside her, his pets at his side.

"Do you plan on meeting any sailors?"

"If anyone at all, they will not see me. It will be merely a passing gift left by a stranger."

"Where do you plan to go once you reach the surface?"

"I don't know. Aerith has seen the moonlit sky, Tifa has been to the town, Yuna has seen a sunrise, Paine has gone inland, Yuffie has seen a sunset, and Rikku sings 'til men become frightened of us. What will I have to tell?"

"I am sure you will have stories to tell once you return." He kissed her cheek and left to his study.

"Kairi," a young woman called from the gate.

Selphie was Kairi's best friend. She was of the common, but never cared her friend was of nobility. Kairi opened the rusted bars and joined her.

"Tidus and Wakka are all wrapped up in their ballgame and they won't come play with me."

"I'll go with you," she answered. The girls swam off into the open ocean. "What's the plan?"

"Well, I wanted to go exploring."

"We've been in all the ships close to the palace already."

"Not the most recent. There's one that crashed two days ago near the Black Reef, western edge."

"You know we can't go there. Father wouldn't like it."

"Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

Not too far from the girls, a blond boy with bright blue eyes watched them from afar. Around his neck dangled a golden shell, catching the light. Another had his eye on them.

"Roxas, don't lose them," he was instructed. "I'll send Vexen, Xigbar, and Luxord out to you."

"Yes, sir."

Within the dark enclosure, eleven sea-folk, all banished by the kingdom, gathered before their leader. Each wore a golden shell around their necks; their leader hidden in darkness.

"Xigbar, Vexen, Luxord…find Roxas. You know what to do if they get too close."

"Yes, sir," they answered and disappeared into the shadows. The other paused for instructions.

"The rest of you have your tasks. On your way."


	3. The Princess and the Outcast

Selphie and Kairi approached the ship, peering cautiously inside. The hull had been pierced by a cannon blast. Skeletons glowed in the shadows.

"All clear," Selphie piped and they slipped inside.

"Good," Kairi answered. "The last time we went exploring, a squid chased us out."

"Do we honestly get in that much trouble?"

"Yes."

The cabins and cargo hold lay littered in strange treasures. Selphie opened a woman's treasure box filled with tarnished chains and glittering jewels. She clipped pearls to her ears and tied a chain or two around her neck, staring into a hand mirror.

"If we clean some of it up," Selphie giggled dreamily, "we could wear it to the party. Any merman would notice you."

"I don't need to glitter to be noticed. Besides, I have enough of those from the girls."

"You're lucky to have sisters, Kairi."

"If you want any treasure, you can have it."

"Really?!" Her eyes sparkled.

"Yeah, be my guest." Selphie sorted through the pieces, pushed the box under her arm and went back to her search.

Kairi shyly sifted through old dresses and boxes. She discovered paintings of people hidden away in crates. She attempted to mimic the women in magnificent color.

_Humans. I never realized how different they were from us,_ she thought.

Somewhere on the ship a beam or something loose rattled the girls. Selphie screamed.

"Selphie," Kairi cried and raced back to her friend.

The ones who'd been sent after them had Selphie in a corner. Selphie screamed again. Kairi grabbed her arm, pulled her to the exit, and didn't stop until they were back in the city.

"Mission accomplished," Xigbar report.

"Good," came a simple answer.

"He's too blunt sometimes," Vexen said as they started back. "Why are we always sent to scare off the children?"

"Vex, you don't even have to try," Xigbar laughed.

"That's it! You crossed the line!" Vexen threw ice at the eye-patched merman, missing terribly.

"Go back to the arctic and work on your aim, old man!"

"Will you two stop bloody messing around? We have other things to do," Luxord reminded them.

"Stupid British git," Xigbar whispered.

"I heard that."

Selphie and Kairi collapsed in the garden under the statue tree. Selphie pushed the hair out of her eyes and glanced over at her friend.

"Thanks for saving me, Kairi."

"No…problem…" She smiled and fixed her hair. Selphie looked around and panicked. "What's wrong?"

"My box! I must have dropped it!"

"We're not going back for it. Father's going to be mad if he finds out we went to the Black Reef."

"Then, don't tell him. I'd hate to see my mother lose it."

"Okay, then let's promise not to tell."

"Okay. Secret handshake." They crossed pinkies and stared each other down. "Right. Left. Turn around."

"Wrinkle your nose. Back flip. Tail."

"Sealed." They laughed, hugging each other.

"Selphie, you held onto something."

They looked in the hand Kairi was holding. On her right, ring finger was a golden band with a single sapphire in the center of an engraved heart.

"It's beautiful," Selphie cried.

"You can go back for your box, but I think that'll do for today." Kairi smiled. They said their good-byes and Kairi joined her sisters for lunch.

The girls took their places around a circular table with Ansem at the head. The sisters talked of events on the surface; Kairi was the only quiet one. Ansem looked over at his youngest.

"Is something wrong, Kairi?" he asked.

"No, sir," she answered.

"For the last time, Aerith," Rikku yelled, "it's not my turn to sing! I sang last time!"

"Rikku, keep your voice down," Ansem called over her.

"Sorry, sir." She shrank back in her seat.

"Kairi. You have been quiet all day. Sing us something, will you?"

"Um…of course…" she shyly replied. She got up with Aerith and joined her beside the harp.

From her lips came a nightingale's melody that calmed even the angry sharks that feasted in the Dark Reef. Those that served the banished leader paused their work to listen. Roxas, who hadn't returned to the Dark Reef, stopped and thought to follow the melody.

He peered over the wall at the family, his eyes falling on Kairi.

_What a voice,_ he thought.

"Hey," roared the guard. Roxas was yanked down by the tail. "What are you doing here, urchin?"

"J-just passing through…"

"Then be on your way." The guards tossed him out of the palace. When the song had vanished, he tried getting in again.

Kairi returned to the garden and her stone prince. She hummed the song to her father's pets. Two small ones chased each other around her tail. Roxas watched her from the bushes. Her smile made his heart race, and he felt a strange fondness for her. He'd forgotten about the treasure box under his arm.

"Roxas," a voice came from the shell around his neck. Startled, he grabbed the shell and ducked lower in his hiding place. "Roxas, where are you?" Kairi heard and listened closely.

"Axel," he whispered. "What are you doing?!"

"Where are you, man? The Superior's getting pissed. Get you ass back here on the double."

"Hello," Kairi called out. "Is somebody there?"

"Who's that?"

"No one," he replied. "I'm on my way."

The plants parted and the intruder met the princess. Roxas couldn't move; Kairi stared at him. She slowly backed away. He straightened up and tried to explain himself. She immediately noticed the shell around his neck.

"You're…"

"Shh. Please. Just let me explain."

"Get out of here!"

"Please don't scream." He grabbed her wrist to apologize. She shrieked. "No!"

He pulled her into him and tried to cover her mouth. She struggled to wiggle free, continuing to scream.

"Please don't do this. I don't want to hurt you."

"Get you hands off my daughter," Ansem bellowed. He and the guards appeared at the garden gate and the castle-garden entrance. Paine and Tifa were beside their father.

_Shit,_ Roxas thought.

"Let her go, punk," Paine yelled. He surveyed the situation, then the wall.

"You can have her." He pushed Kairi into Tifa and rocketed over the wall. _Fins, don't fail me now._

"Your majesty, should we go after him?" the captain asked. Ansem shook his head. "Understood. Men, back to your posts."

"Did he hurt you, Kairi?" Tifa questioned. Kairi shook her head.

"To you room, girls," Ansem ordered. "Stay there 'til supper. I'll send someone to get you."

Tifa and Paine explained the alarm to the others. Kairi sat on her bed in silence. Aerith helped Rikku braid her hair, while Yuffie looked over her collection of shells and sea stones. Yuna sat reading a recent book on human mythology.

"Oh yeah, I remember that kid," Yuffie interjected. "His name is Roxas. Didn't he go missing some time back?"

"I don't remember," Rikku said, thinking back.

"You wouldn't remember," Yuna said, "because we were on the surface when he vanished."

"So, what was he doing here?"

"Probably on _His_ orders," Paine stressed. She laid back against her pillow with a flower in her hands. "Everyone knows Father banished him years ago-"

"Paine," Aerith interrupted. "You know we're not to speak of him or his organization."

"Stop acting like the good sister, will you? We can't act like they don't exist."

"Once they step outside the boundary set by law, they don't exist. Roxas is no different."

"Cut the crap already, will you?!" She got up out of bed, her red eyes tried to burn her sister. Yuna jumped to calm her. "You're always playing the good sister and it pisses me off."

"Paine, calm down," Yuna calmly said.

"I won't calm down! I'm sick of that mask she wears for Father. All she ever does and says is 'listen to Father,' 'be good to Father.' Why don't you wear a collar and be his pet?!"

"Ow!" Rikku yelped. She dashed away from Aerith and into Tifa's arms, holding her head. "That hurt…"

"Do you really think I'm putting on an act?" Aerith asked, crushing a coral comb in her hand. Kairi peered over. "Do you really think I'm doing this for my health?!"

"Yes, I do," Paine yelled. The one-sided war of words escalated to a screaming contest. "Ever since Mother died, you've sucked up to Father like a desperate puppy."

"I've been doing this because of Mother. Kairi was a baby when she died, and I've been trying to help."

"You're not her mother and you'll never be like Mother; you're her sister. You'll always be her sister. If you haven't noticed, Father was the one who raised her and he did a damn fine job."

"He only watched over her. I took up the responsibility of teaching her when she was seven."

"But you insist on treating her like a child."

Kairi appeared between them. Mermaids cannot cry because their tears are nothing more than bubbles. Aerith and Paine's eyes fell on their little sister, her eyes full of sorrow. They hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Kairi," they apologized. Kairi smiled.

_Works every time,_ she giggled.

* * *

The Dark Reef is considered an area of exile. To look in the darkest region of the sea, you've gone too far. The Organization's headquarters is nestled in these stone and coral mountains of darkness. Volcanic ranges and towering smokestacks surround the canyon mountains. Only the creatures that create their own light and heat can live in such conditions. In the case of the banished, they have adapted to these conditions: eyes adjust to light, skin tough enough for the pressure and cold, and speed needed to escape the dangers hidden in the darkness.

Roxas returned, greeted by a frantic Demyx. Demyx pulled him behind a smokestack tower. Roxas tried to pull away.

"What the hell, Demyx?!"

"Shh. Please don't blow my cover. Xigbar hasn't left me alone since he got back from chasing off those kids. Just let me hide out until he calms down. Please?"

"Fine. But you'll have to face him sooner or later." Roxas flicked his tail without a second thought. Xigbar looked out from the entrance.

"Hey, Rox, have you seen Dem?" he asked.

"He's hiding behind the smokestacks." Xigbar disappeared.

"Roxas!" Demyx screamed.

"Roxas," Axel cried and tackled him into a wall.

"Why does everyone do that?!" he yelled.

"You're the youngest and adorable, what more can I say?"

Roxas slipped out of his grip and went to his room. Axel followed him, being his best friend. The blond merboy laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"What's eating you, pal?"

"Nothing." He rolled on his side, finding the mirror.

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"Just leave me alone. I'm tired and sore."

"Come on, man. What's bugging you?"

"For one, you."

"Ouch. That hurts, Rox." Axel sat down next to him. "Where were you anyway?"

"Those girls left their box behind. I was just returning it."

"You went to the city?"

"I had to."

"You know it's forbidden! Ansem made sure of that."

"It's nothing but word of mouth. And I would have gotten here sooner if not for…"

"For what? Roxas?"

"I saw the princess…the youngest…she was singing…"

"So, what happened?"

"You happened!" He flipped over and shot up, standing. "After you called, she found me and I could have been shark bait! You almost got me killed!"

"Whoa. Don't go blaming your mishaps on me."

"Most of them end up being your fault."

Roxas turned his back and went out on the balcony. From the coral lookout, the mer-city glowed dimly on the hovering horizon. Kairi's song echoed in his ears. Axel remained on the bed thinking.

"Okay," he finally said, sitting up. "Maybe there are a few – " Roxas glared at him. "Many incidents where you get into trouble and I'm sorry."

"Thank you." He went back to daydreaming.

"Then again, you're supposed to watch your own tail."

"That's it!" Roxas sprang at him and tackled him to the floor. "How do you like it, Axel?!"

"Hey, get off!"

"Am I interrupting something?" Larxene looked in on them. The guys paused. They had fallen over the side of the bed, Axel pinning Roxas to the floor. Roxas flipped Axel on his back and jumped away. "If you two are done horsing around, we have work to do." Axel rolled onto his stomach.

"What work? We're off duty," he reminded her.

"Tomorrow night. He's basically demoted us to crashing parties."

"What sort of party?" Roxas asked.

"For some princess. Saïx will fill you in." She vanished with the laundry.

"How many times a week does that woman need to clean?" Axel asked himself. "Hmph. Women."

"Don't talk. Your words only make things worse," Roxas snapped and returned to the balcony.

"Roxas, what happened between us? We used to be so close, peas in a pod we were. Remember?" Axel put his arm around him. Roxas shrugged him off.

"Don't start that again."

"What? Why do you always argue with me?" He leaned against the railing and tried to meet the boy's eye. "I understand that I call at the wrong times and I can be insensitive, but what's _really_ bugging you?"

Roxas couldn't hold a straight a face, let a smile slip, and looked his friend in the eye. Then, his gaze turned toward the surface.

* * *

Kairi looked up at the moonlit surface from the balcony. Her eyes glittered as though she could see the stars Aerith always described. She was too excited to sleep. Tomorrow, she would turn fifteen and be able to see the stars and sun and all the things her sisters had told her about. Unable to sit still, she snuck down into the garden. She sat under her tree with her marble prince.

"Well, my stone prince," she whispered, "soon we'll meet and I'll finally get to see the world you saw."

She kissed his cheek, the family pets joining her. One of them got stuck in the bushes. She pulled it out of the swaying tentacles, finding the box Roxas had tried to return.

_Selphie's treasure box._ She picked it up and thought back to meeting Roxas. _That boy…_ "He was giving it back."

"Kairi?" Ansem called. "What are you doing up? You should be in bed."

"I couldn't sleep." He hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"I know you are excited, but you must rest. You need your strength for your time on the surface."

"I know, Father."

"Now, get to bed." She kissed his cheek.

"Good night."

She kissed his cheek and returned to her room. Kairi looked over her sisters. Even in the dark, she knew their sleeping habits:

Rikku had her pillow over her eyes, on her back, and snored like an orca.

Paine was calm, slept on her right side, but punched her pillow at random times.

Yuffie's bed sheets twisted around her tail, on her stomach, and mumbled to herself.

Yuna hugged her pillow close, giggling and kissing it, in her fairytale dreams, and slept on her left side.

Tifa slept on her back, punching the water, tossing and turning and snapping her tail.

Aerith was the calmest of all – on her stomach – always smiling quietly.

Kairi checked her charm, placed it under her pillow, blew out her light, and drifted off with music in her ears, staring out at the watery sky. Fifteen…finally, she'd see the surface world.

Roxas stared up at the same sky, thinking about the past. He recalled the song from Kairi's lips that had calmed the ocean in a ten-mile radius. His mind was always somewhere else.

"Kairi…" From his lips came a similar song, reaching Kairi's ears. She awoke, sat up and listened with a surprised curiosity. The song awakened Axel.

"What the hell?" he whispered.

His voice echoed long after he'd returned to bed. It reached as far as the surface world and the prince's ears.


	4. Celebrations in the Rain

Sora sat up straight from his dream. A light sweat dabbed his brow. He slipped on his shoes and ventured onto the veranda. His palace overlooked the sea, but not the beach. The sand stretched along the town's shore and could be reached via a small path along by the monastery's school. Riku's family lived on the other edge of it, a straight shot from the palace.

The stars were bright in the sky and sea, the moon in its waning. He stared out, listening for the song, the siren's voice. All he heard were the frogs, crickets, cicadas, and town dogs.

"Was it all a dream?" he asked himself.

Sora took his temperature, thinking he was ill, splashed his face at the sink, and returned to bed. He stared at the ceiling unable to forget the voice.

"No. It wasn't a dream, but was that a siren's voice?"

The town was alive before sunrise the next morning. Riku, Sora's good friend and a noble, raced through the streets to the palace as the bells chimed noon. He stood on the ballroom veranda, and looked straight up at his friend's window.

"Sora," he called. No answer. He scaled the ivy terrace to the window. "Oi, Sora." He leaned on the pane, and peeked in, shaking his head.

"Good morning, Mr. Riku," a young wizard called. Riku looked down.

"Morning, Vivi." He slid down and smiled at the boy. "What are you up to?"

"I-just stopped to see Mr. Leon."

"Leon's in town this morning. What's with sleeping beauty?"

"It's not like the prince to sleep in. Is he ill?"

"I'll wake him and find out. He's not going to miss his birthday." He grabbed the vines and ascended back to the window. "See you 'round, V."

Vivi waddled off, saying a quick hello-goodbye to Cloud. The blonde mentor caught a glimpse of the mischievous Riku.

_What is that boy up to?_ he wondered.

Riku grabbed a basin, quietly filled it in the tub, and stood over Sora – a devilish gleam in his eyes.

"Sora…" he whispered. There was a splash; Sora shot up screaming. Riku leapt out the window – Sora chasing him out.

"Damn it, Riku," he screamed. "Get back here! I'll kill you!"

"Then get up on time, you lazy bum!"

"Riku, Sora," Cloud ordered. The boys paused. "Behave yourselves. Leon will be back in an hour. Be ready to set sail."

The boys went to lunch as soon as Sora had dried and dressed. Any passing girls stopped to flirt, but Sora paid no attention. Riku saw them off, before seeing his friend back to reality.

"Sora. Earth to Sora."

"Huh?"

"You're daydreaming again."

"Was I?"

"And you've barely touched your food."

"I'm not really hungry."

"Not hungry?!" Riku leaned across the table.

"What?"

"Are you really my friend Sora?"

"Very funny, Riku."

"Tell me something only Sora would know."

"When we were little, we'd sneak down to the Secret Place and pretend to be warriors. You helped me conquer my fear of monsters."

"You're Sora." He sat back down. "Are you sick?"

"No, I'm just not hungry."

"You'd have to be sick if you're not eating."

"I'm fine, Riku."

Sora gazed out at the ocean. The song continued to echo inside him. Why couldn't he shake it?

* * *

In the fathoms below, the sea-folk were preparing for their own celebration. Selphie, by Ansem's request, took Kairi out on a small adventure. Kairi had trouble keeping up with her friend; she was too excited about the party. Selphie dragged her to the edge of the city – to a festival ship that sank before Kairi was born.

"How did you find this place?" Kairi asked.

"Tidus and Wakka found it on one of their outings," Selphie told her. "They told me about it a while back. I've been waiting for the right time to explore it."

They dove into the cargo hold and sorted through the chests of human clothes and accessories. Selpie helped Kairi into a young woman's dress, the skirt billowing like a parachute.

"Just think. Tonight, you'll get to go to the surface," she sighed. "I have to wait a couple more months."

"My sisters have told so many stories, I wonder what I'll see. Help me out of this." Selphie grabbed the skirt and pulled it off her friend. "Thank you."

"I want to be the first to hear everything."

"I promise."

Roxas watched the girls from afar. Axel played look out.

"Why do we get stuck watching the princess?" Axel whispered.

"You didn't have to come with me," he answered. "All you ever do is complain."

"Yeah, but-hey."

"It's true."

"But why us? Zexion or Larxene could –"

"Because we're the fastest and can get away if we're seen. Plus, we're to report in when they leave. He wants to crash the party in style."

"Style my ass. Out of all the parties the palace puts on, he chooses the youngest's birthday. What's so special about her?"

Selphie went to a large, standing, travel closet and opened the jewelry drawer. She pulled out a gold chain with a sapphire the size of a clamshell.

"Kairi, try on this necklace," Selphie squealed. She pinned it around Kairi's neck and pinned on a pair of earrings.

"That reminds me," she smiled. "I found your treasure box."

"You did!"

"I'll give it to you at the party."

"Hey, Roxas," Axel whispered,

Roxas couldn't take his eyes off her. He watched the girls sort through a chest of festival costumes. Selphie threw a woman's cloak over her shoulders and went to the mirror. The glass had been cracked diagonally across, any reflection skewed in some way. She twirled and posed, examining how human's looked. Kairi placed a flower-rim hat on her head.

"How can human's wear this stuff?" Selphie asked.

"I think humans aren't born beautiful like we are," Kairi explained, unsure if she was listening. "They require other materials to make themselves look like us."

"How do you know?"

"Why do you think they take so much with them on these ships?"

"Good point."

Axel noticed the boy's eyes, grabbed his shoulders, and leaned over to block his gaze. Roxas was in a daydreaming state-of-mind.

"Looks like someone's in love," he teased.

"Shut up," Roxas snapped back and pushed him away.

"Come on, admit it. You're in love."

"I am not."

"Kairi," a voice called. The boys went silent. A blond mermaid with sky blue fins swam close to the ship. "Kairi."

"Let's get out of here."

"Stay put," Axel advised and pushed Roxas against the hull. Kairi and Selphie swam into sight.

"Rikku," Kairi answered.

"There you are," Rikku scolded. "You two should have been back an age ago."

"Selphie and I –"

"I don't want to here it. Get your tail back to the palace."

"I'll see you at the party, Sel."

Glitz of purple and blue faded away. Roxas watched them vanished, Selphie now alone. Axel grabbed the shell around his neck.

"Superior, the sparrow has flown," he whispered.

Selphie stood straight, looked around, then swam off.

"That was too close. Let's scram."

* * *

"_As generations continued, the lifespan of the sea-folk slowly grew to the estimated age of 300._ Riku, have you read any of this?" Sora asked with his book open.

On the ship, Riku helped Sora prepare for the party. He had his own hair back to keep it out of the goop.

"Hold still so I can finish," he snapped, pushing Sora's head back into place.

"Ow. Don't pull at it!"

"Stop squirming." He put the brush down. "Yes, I've read it. It's nothing but a book of theories."

"You don't believe any of it?"

"I'm just saying, if men were meant to have fins, we would have been born swimmers."

"Just admit you don't believe they're real. I can hear it in your voice."

"Why? Do you believe such childish stories?"

"Ow! Riku, I said not to pull!"

* * *

"Ow! Do I have to wear these? My tail hurts," Kairi whined.

"We all had to wear them," Yuna reminded her.

"Beauty comes with a price," Paine muttered.

Eight pear-shelled oysters clung to Kairi's fins. She winced trying to move. Aerith smiled as she finished her hair.

"You'll get used to it," she assured. "Now, hold still."

"I have just the necklace for you," Yuffie cried.

"Not too much," Tifa advised. "You don't want to weigh her down. She'll be dragging herself through the sand."

"It's nothing heavy." Yuffie clipped a string of gold beads around her sister's neck. "See. Small, simple, sweet."

"Finished," Aerith announced.

"Not yet," Rikku sang, intervening. She placed a wreath of flowers on her sister's head. "There."

Kairi stood, smiling at the result. The others encircled her, singing. After a short ballad, they left for the party.

Mer-folk danced, gliding in twos around the ballroom. Music filled the atmosphere. Guests paused as the princesses entered in age order. Each took her place on either side of their father; Kairi sat closest to him. Over the night, each princess performed in their sister's honor: Aerith and her harp, Tifa and Paine with their martial arts, Yuna and Rikku sang, Yuffie and her flute.

"Very good," Ansem clapped.

Suddenly, whispers shot around the room. Xemnas and his Organization appeared from the crowd. Ansem grimaced, the girls backing behind him. The Superior smiled.

"Xemnas," he said in a low growl.

"I am impressed, Ansem," he coolly admitted. "Your little girls are indeed talented. I have never seen flowers as beautiful as yours."

"Why do you show your face here?"

"Do you not care to see how your apprentices have faired in exile?"

"You are of no concern to me."

Kairi's eyes fell on Roxas, recognizing him immediately. She whispered to her father, his face growing grim.

"Yes, I know," he answered her.

"Father," she begged.

"There is nothing I can do."

"What is it, Ansem?" Xemnas teased. "Your youngest getting ahead of herself?"

"Silence. Out of my sight. You are not welcome here." The guards surrounded them. Xemnas smirked.

"No need for force. Everyone, let us depart. We are not wanted before the eyes of the king." He bowed to his former teacher. "But mark my words, your little flowers will eventually come to me. And it will start –" He pointed to Kairi. " – with your youngest."

In pairs behind their superior, the Organization vanished. Roxas glanced back to catch Kairi's gaze.

"Come on, Roxas," Axel pulled him into open waters.

All eyes turned to Ansem.

"Do not let those intruders interrupt our celebration. It will soon be midnight. Once the moon is at its highest point on the surface, Kairi will make her way to the surface world – a privilege set by laws of yore."

Cheers echoed throughout the hall. Xemnas looked back, the Organization not far from the palace. He watched the lights, listening for their cue. All went silent, Kairi on stage. She closed her eyes and sang for the guests. All the sea went still at the first melodic note. As her song died, cheers erupted and her silhouette rose towards the waves.

"So, it begins," Xemnas whispered. "Larxene, Xaldin, Demyx."

"Yes, sir," they answered.

"Follow her. Stir up the night a bit for the little princess."

* * *

Kairi broke the surface of the nightly waves. She glanced up at the moon and stars. In the distance, stars exploded into a mix of colors. She followed the tails to a ship floating on waves. As she went closer, she heard music and laughter.

"A party?" she whispered.

Grabbing the siding and hanging ropes, she pulled herself level with the main deck. Her tail flicked and swayed to the rhythm of the band, the oysters falling off one by one. Leon stepped out into the center.

"Quiet down, everyone," Leon called over everyone, the music silencing. "May I present the one we honor tonight; our very own prince."

Riku escorted Sora from the cabin. Kairi's eyes fell on the prince, her heart pounding. He bowed to his guests with a smile.

_What eyes are more unworthy than mine to gaze upon this beauty before me?_ The girls crowded around the boys, babbling like a gaggle of geese.

"Come on, Sora," Riku elbowed him in the ribs. "Choose someone. They're getting vicious."

_Sora…what better name to suit thy handsome face than that of the sky with the sun, moon, stars, dawn and twilight? No other name may suit thee. No other…_

The last oyster clinging to her lavender scales flew off, flying onto the deck. Sora stepped, slid on it, and fell to the floor. Gasps spread around, Riku jumping to help his friend. Leon went to the ship's railing, hearing noises; Kairi vanished.

_That was too close._

Not far off, the Organization was at work. Larxene, an electrical elementalist, led the way. Demyx carried his sitar on his back; Xaldin's lances flew beside him.

"Watch it with those things," Demyx yelled. "Those could make us sushi."

"_I'll_ make _you_ into sushi if you don't stop complaining," Xaldin returned.

"Enough, you two," Larxene snapped. Around her waist was a set of kunai. "Now, time we had some fun."

"I don't know about this," Demyx chattered.

"Quit it. Just stir up the water. Xaldin."

Larxene and Xaldin broke the surface. The clouds rolled in, Xaldin's lances churning them above. Larxene raised her kunai toward the clouds.

"A storm?" Leon whispered.

"Squall," Captain Highwind called. "The winds have changed course and the sea's current is off." He joined the captain.

"A hurricane?"

"Could be. If it is, it's a late one."

"Leon," Cloud joined them.

"Cloud," Leon instructed, "prepare for the worst. Get the boats ready and secure the rigging. Try not to panic the guests."

"If they see the storm, they will panic."

"Leon," Riku approached them.

Under the surface, Demyx played a melody – reaching Kairi's ears. She noticed the change in the current. She looked back – someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.

"Let go of me," she cried.

"Please, princess, quiet," he begged.

"Roxas? What are you doing?"

"Saving your life."

"What?"

"Xemnas plans to sink that ship. You'll be caught in it if you don't get – "

"Sink it?! He can't!"

She pulled away, unable to hear Roxas' voice calling after her. She broke the surface, the ship rocking and tipping on the waves. Kairi grabbed the hull and climbed up. Riku struggled to get Sora to the boat. They gabbed the ropes on the mast. Cloud, Leon and Cid held onto the railing.

"Don't let go," Riku called over the wind.

"Riku," Sora yelled. A wave crashed across the deck, breaking the railing, and pushed Riku into the other railing. Leon grabbed him; he was alone."

"Sora? Sora!" Leon pulled him into the boat. Kairi returned to the water, searching for Sora.

"Beauty of the sky," she prayed, "please, do not become a victim of Mother Sea." She spotted his body; a pale, silk-covered angel. "Please, be alive."

She wrapped her arms around his unconscious body and pulled him up to the air above. With all her strength, she pushed against the current and pulled him to the beach of a town.


	5. Love Can Hurt, Trust is Earned

The sun rose over the misty mountains and snow-covered hills in the distance. Kairi placed his head on her lap, his skin as pale as the moon. She stroked his hair and kissed his forehead.

"Child of the sky," she whispered, "please, wake up."

She surveyed the area, the town beginning to come alive. Not far from the shore was a church or school, she wasn't sure. Young girls and boys appeared before it, the bells singing on the air. A small pack raced down to the sand.

Kairi dove into the surf, watching in hope he'd be found. Two boys and two girls came into sight.

"Come on, Pence, give me the camera," the blond boy yelled. "I want to see."

"No way," Pence argued, trying to push him away. "You'd break it and we'd lose our photos. Olette, tell him. Hayner!"

"Cut it out, you guys," Olette laughed. "Naminé, hurry up."

The blond girl held a sketchbook and crayons. She smiled, following them. Then, she paused and her eyes fell on Sora. She dropped her things and went to his side; Kairi wondered if he was alive.

"A body?" Olette gasped.

"Is he alive?" Pence asked.

Sora stirred, Naminé lifting his head. His eyes opened, his gaze falling on her. Hayner and Pence helped him to his feet. Kairi's heart soared, but sank once she realized he wouldn't know his savior.

"Princess," Roxas called. She turned, trying to smile. "Don't fake a smile. Come, you must get home."

She nodded, returning to the depths.

* * *

From that night on, Kairi took a vow of silence. She refused to speak of the trip, even to Selphie, or sing. She hung around her marble statue in the garden for hours at a time. The palace seemed to grow darker without her voice.

"What's gotten into her?" Rikku asked.

"I don't know," Paine calmly answered.

"There's definitely something wrong," Yuffie looked up from organizing her treasure box. "She can be quiet, but this isn't like her."

"Let it go," Tifa snapped.

"The garden's been growing wild," Yuna brought up. "She used to always look after it; now, it's a jungle."

"She won't speak to father," Rikku added. "And they're normally so close."

"She's going through a phase," Aerith said, glancing up from her book.

"A phase?" Tifa questioned.

"A phase we all go through. A little something we all call Love."

Kairi sat off shore of the town, day after day, looking for Sora. Day after day, Roxas followed her to protect her. One day, Axel confronted him after returning from a mission.

"What in the sea have you been up to, Roxas?" he asked. Roxas leaned on the balcony railing, staring up at the sun-dressed surface.

"None of you business," he replied. Axel caught a glimpse of his friend's eyes.

"Oh, I get it." Axel sat on the bed. "You're in love with the princess." Roxas spun around.

"That's not –"

"I can see it in your eyes."

"I am not!"

"Don't lie to me. You've got the eyes of a lost puppy." He got up and took Roxas' face in his hand. "Which, I must say, make you even cuter."

"Shut up!" Roxas slapped his hand away. "What I do in my spare time is none of your business!" He pushed Axel out. "Now, stay out!" The dividing curtain brushed close. Axel looked back.

"You may look like a young man, but lately your attitude's been that of a little girl." He stormed off; Roxas remained in his room. Axel knocked into Vexen and Saïx as he passed.

"Watch it," he yelled.

"What's gotten into him?" Vexen wondered out loud.

"With him," Saïx deduced, "who knows?"

Roxas waited for them to pass. Without a word to anyone, he left for the open ocean. Xemnas watched from his chambers.

"That boy…" he whispered to himself. "Roxas is becoming too troublesome for his own good. What to do…?"

"Xemnas," Saïx called. No one answered. "Superior?"

"Enter, Saïx." He sat beside the Superior, both sets of golden eyes piercing the darkness. "Have you noticed a change in Roxas?"

"I have. Does it displease you?"

"Not displease. Curious is more the word."

"Curious, sir?"

"About his behavior. About his reasoning for following the little princess." Roxas watched Kairi from afar. "Five months he has been following her to the surface world. Five months, her vow of silence has affected the kingdom far greater than I had imagined. She wishes to find the prince…we will help her find him."

"How do you propose we find him?"

"Lexaeus. He knows the land better than any merman. Send him, Zexion and Marluxia to the surface. Find him and make friends with one of the other flowers. They could be of use to us."

* * *

One morning, Kairi lay in bed dreaming of her prince. Her sisters prepared to retreat to the surface for the afternoon. Rikku attempted to cheer her up before their departure.

"Kairi, come with us," Rikku laughed. "You've been way too depressed lately." Kairi rolled over.

"Let her be," Tifa said. "Come, the humans' festival has already begun."

Rikku sighed and the six went on their way. Ansem saw them off, then went to Kairi. He sat on her bed, stroking her hair. She rolled over and threw her arms around him.

"My child," he cooed, "why this vow of silence? I miss your voice, your songs. Your garden cries, over-grown from neglect. Please, speak to me." She went to speak, but nothing came from her lips. Bubbles floated up from her eyes. He stroked her head, humming one of her tunes. "It is fine. You will talk when you are ready." He kissed her forehead. "In good time." Roxas peeked in from the balcony.

Down below, a young girl with short black hair attempted to out smart the guards. He ducked into her path and pulled her into hiding. The guards passed without a second thought.

"That was too close," Roxas laughed. He smiled at her, but she was already trying to slink away. "Hey!" He stopped her once more. In her arms was a small bundle, its contents unknown. "I just saved you from a term in the dungeon. A thank you would be nice.

"I'm sorry," she said hiding her face, "but I have to go." She sped off without a second glance.

"Hey! What's your name?" She didn't answer. Roxas watched her vanish into the distant blue.

Later that day…

The mer-princesses sang as they returned home. They paused to explore a newly sunken ship. Yuna, Rikku, and Yuffie searched through the cargo hold. Aerith and Tifa searched the other rooms. Paine stayed with the younger ones.

"Do you think a present will make her feel better?" Yuna asked. "We've given her many of these items already."

"We need to cheer her up somehow," Rikku answered.

"Maybe treasure isn't the answer," Yuffie answered. "If she is in love, we need to find out with who."

A haunting melody caught Paine's ear. She followed it to the top deck, finding a young man carrying a book with silver hair and his back to her. His voice was something out of a nightmarish dream.

"You are the young princess' sister," he said. "Which are you, Rose?"

"Paine. And you?"

"Zexion." He faced her. Red and blue met eye to eye. "My name is Zexion." He closed his book. "I hear the young princess has gone silent out of love and despair."

"And? Do you happen to know who she's fallen in love with? Where he is?"

"Perhaps."

"Then, spill." He did not smile as a man-to-gain would.

"A young prince with a name that holds the sun, moon, stars, twilight and dawn." He nodded his head toward the glimmering surface. "He lives in a palace by the sea. He, too, longs to meet her again."

"Where on the sea?" He swam a circle around her and held out his hand.

"Follow me."

She took his hand and followed him to the prince's hide-away.

* * *

Sora stared out at the setting sun, trying to remember his birthday celebration again. In the background was a holiday party he paid no mind to. It began to snow.

"Sora," Cloud called. "What are you doing out here? You should be enjoying yourself."

"How can I?"

"Are you still thinking about that night?" Sora nodded. "It was five months ago. Let it go." He looked up at his blond mentor.

"Riku said I should have died in that storm. I need to know how I survived." He went back to his daydream. "Who saved me that night?" Cloud shook his head.

"Come inside. Enjoy yourself." He started to lead the boy inside.

Zexion and Paine broke the surface. He pulled her close to the rocky wall that ascended to the ballroom terrace, catching a glimpse of the boy. Zexion sang, loud enough for Sora to return with newfound curiosity.

"That's him?" Paine asked.

"That is him," he repeated. "The Sky Boy. A human prince. He does not know of her existence."

"He is the reason behind her vow of silence?" Sora returned to the party. "I never would have guessed that a human, of all creatures, captured her heart."

"You may relay the information to your sister, but you mustn't give my name."

"Why?"

"For protection. Good-bye, princess." He kissed her hand and vanished into the sea. She looked back to the terrace, moving away from the rocks to see Sora talking with others.

"Child of the sky, who has stolen my sister's heart unknowingly, do not take her love lightly. If you do learn of her, do not take her fancy as a fleeting dream."

* * *

"Where were you?" Tifa asked.

"I thought I saw something she might," Paine lied. Of course, her hands were empty of anything.

"Where is it?" Yuffie and Rikku piped.

"I couldn't reach it."

"Leave her alone," Aerith sighed. "Let us return and see if Kairi's any better."

Kairi sat in the wild garden with her father's pets. Selphie appeared, watching her friend from the gate. Roxas peered through a hole in the wall, the plant staggering his view.

"Kairi," she called. "Kairi, let me in." Kairi slowly approached the gate, her eyes dull. "How have you been? I've missed you."

"Sorry," she whispered. "I haven't been feeling well."

"I can tell. Your voice sounds awful." A cough slipped from Kairi's throat. "Maybe I should come back tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Selphie."

The sisters watched from the hall. Five left, Paine remained behind. Selphie departed. Paine went up and hugged her sister.

"Don't cry, Kairi. I know why you no longer sing and I have seen his face." Kairi spun around, eye to eye with her sister. "I can take you to him…tomorrow."

A squealing laugh erupted from her body as she hugged Paine. A smile broke across Roxas' face. Someone grabbed him from behind and carried him off.


	6. Imprisonment and Reunion

"Let go, Marluxia," Roxas yelled. Marluxia held his scythe to Roxas' throat, the boy trying to push away. "Let go!"

"Quit squirming, runt, unless you want to be sushi."

Marluxia escorted him to the meeting room, pushing him to the floor. Vines entangled around him.

"Here you are, Superior," he sneered.

"Well done, Marluxia," Xemnas nodded. Roxas thrashed his tail trying to free himself. "Roxas, do you know why you were brought here?"

"Because I spend my spare time away from the castle?" Roxas growled. "Or is it because you're a stubborn son-of-a-bitch obsessed with a little girl?!" Marluxia cuffed him across the face.

"Watch your tongue." Xemnas smirked. "The closer I get to Princess Kairi, the closer I get to Ansem. However, you, boy, are getting in the way. I have been informed of your secret behavior." Roxas' eyes went straight to Axel. "And because of your actions, I am forced to take certain measures."

"Measures?"

"You will be given a new quarters. You are allowed to leave for missions and nothing more. Your spare time will be spent serving me until your attitude changes. Should you not obey, you risk permanent imprisonment." He glanced around at the others. "Larxene, Luxord. Take Roxas to his new chambers, if you please." The vines snapped at the base and retied themselves. Luxord tossed him on his shoulder.

"You can't do this to me! Xemnas!" Luxord carried him out; Roxas' eyes fell on Axel one last time. "Axel! I'll kill you for this!"

Xemnas sneered, laughing to himself.

Roxas sat alone in his room, almost in tears. Bars blocked the door and windows; glowing coral lit the room. Axel swam to the door, knocking on the bars. Roxas looked up.

"Hey, kid," Axel said.

"Go away," Roxas said. "I want nothing to do with you." He turned his back to Axel. Axel tried to find his words.

"Roxas, it's not what you think."

"How is it not?!" He was up, the rage growing inside him. "You told him where I go, what I do in my spare time. You told him everything I trusted to you!"

"I had no choice."

"Bullshit!"

"He would have reduced me to seaweed and you to bubbles if I hadn't spilled."

"You ratted to save yourself..." Roxas went to the bars. "There's no excuse for that." He spit in Axel's face and returned to his bed.

"Ungrateful child. You can rot in here for all I care!"

Axel slammed his fist against the wall and left. Roxas punched his pillow until his knuckles began to bleed. He wrapped them in his sheets. A glowing fish floated outside the bars, swam in and up to him. He looked up and swatted at it.

"Go away." The fish wouldn't. Then, he noticed twine wrapped around its body, a note attached to it. "What's that you've got?" He took the parchment and read it over. The fish swam back through the bars. The girl with dark hair floated outside. "You?" He went to the bars in shock.

"It's my turn to help you."

"How do you expect to do that?"

"You'll see, Roxas."

"I never got your name."

"Xion." She vanished into the darkness.

* * *

Paine awakened Kairi before sunrise the next day. Together, with two of Ansem's pets, they made their way to the palace by the sea. Kairi went closest to the rocks and climbed up just below the terrace. Riku appeared in a hurry to find his friend. Paine climbed up beside her.

"I know that boy," Kairi whispered. "He was with Sora on the ship."

"A ship?" Paine repeated.

"He was trying to save him, but they were separated in the storm."

"Sora," Riku called. "Sora, where are you?"

"I'm right here," Sora said. He appeared behind him as depressed as Kairi had been. Riku's eyes widened.

"What happened to you?"

"Didn't sleep last night. I haven't been feeling well."

"I can tell. Come on. You should see a doctor."

Riku escorted him away. Kairi stared until the boys were out of sight. Her face brightened as the sun rose and her voice slowly returned.

"I remember everything," she said, going back in her memories. "That night, I saw the sparkling sky and stars of many colors like an aurora. I followed them to a ship where a celebration was in play. That's when I saw him: Sora. I left for only a moment, that's when the storm hit. He was washed overboard…I saved his life."

The girls were silent for a time. Aerith smiled and hugged her, kissing her forehead.

"To think," Rikku laughed, "our little paopu is in love."

"Rikku!" Her sisters surrounded Kairi. They laughed and joked about the prince, happy to have her back to normal.

"Tell us," Yuffie chimed, "is he handsome?"

"Beauty's in the eye of the beholder," Paine said.

"I'm going back tomorrow," Kairi said.

"You can't trick him like this," Yuna warned. "Humans are very delicate. They break easily."

"I want to reassure him I'm watching; that I'm here, waiting for him. I'll rescue him once more. This time from despair."

* * *

Kairi returned to the prince's palace the next day. In the dawn light, Sora stood daydreaming, a ghost in the living world. She found sympathy towards him and sang in the early morning mist. Her voice carried over the palace and town, as it once did. Sora's senses awakened at the melody and scanned the coast for the source. Leon and Cloud overheard the song and rushed to find the prince. He, however, had taken off into town to find the vocalist. Riku stumbled upon his friend and followed.

"Sora," he called, but Sora acted as though he hadn't heard him. Finally, he turned to the beach. He was knee-deep in water before Riku stopped him. The song paused. "Are you crazy?! Do you want to drown?! Do –"

"Did you hear it? That's the voice," Sora cried. "She's here. That girl…"

Kairi watched them, then her song changed – a lament of some sort. They paused their fighting to listen. Her silhouette sat on a rock against the sky, the mist swirling around her. When her voice vanished on the wind, she dove under and left her charm floating on the waves. Sora reached out and took it.

"Be careful with that," Riku advised. "It could be cursed. That's what sailors say about mer-people's gifts."

"They're thalassa shells; a good luck charm."

"Do you really think that girl was the one? For all you know, it was a ghost. And if she was a ghost, that could be nothing more than a charm some sailor lost when his ship sank." Sora pondered such an answer and shook his head, staring into the dispersing mist.

"No. It was that girl – the girl who saved my life. She's out there, and I'll find her. I'll see her again."

Kairi heard his words, smiled, and returned home. Day after day, she went back and sang for him, never revealing herself. However, as days turned to months, she fell into despair once more for he could never gaze on her face.

* * *

In Exile, Roxas remained a prisoner in his home over the very same months. At first, he was forced to wear a leash on missions so he couldn't run off. Over time, he refused to go out, to leave his room, and even to eat. He forgot what the sun on the rippling sea was like above and below the tide. One evening, Larxene was assigned to deliver his meal.

"Hey, kid," she called. "Dinnertime."

"Take it back," he replied. "I don't want it."

"You can't starve yourself in there. You won't accomplish anything."

"You really think I'm trying to accomplish something?"

Larxene wasn't going to argue. She left him and returned to the kitchen. Zexion, Axel, and Demyx worked the kitchen. She threw the tray onto a counter fuming.

"This can't go on."

"What's eating you?" Axel asked. She grabbed his tail and pulled him to a corner. "Hey, what gives?!"

"You got him into this; you'd best get him out."

"What do you expect me to do?" he growled.

"You two are best friends."

"Were, Larx. Were."

"Doesn't matter. Are you going to let him die? Are you –?"

"Am I what? Heartless? Well, I am, if you haven't noticed, and so are you – so is this whole organization. Besides, he's fine."

"You're wrong," Demyx cut in, finishing the last dish. "I've been to see him on my nights. When given food, if you haven't noticed, he rejects or lets it rot and spoil. If he ever does eat, he grows ill because his stomach can't handle it. He's as pale as the moon and his eyes are lifeless. I can't take any light with me because it hurts him. If you don't do something, Axel, he _will_ die."

"Don't get in the middle of this you cheap, David Bowie imitation. I was only following orders. I reported in."

"What now?!" Larxene raised her voice. "Now that you've done your job –" She stopped herself and shook her head. "Forget it. If you want your friend to die, then turn around and keep walking. It's your choice, Axel."

She pulled Demyx out with her. Zexion watched Axel leave. He ended up sitting beside Lexaeus, who was sorting out one of his puzzles.

"What does that bitch know?" he said out-loud. "Roxas and I _used to_ be friends. Our relationship changed when that princess got in the way. What's so special about her?" He glanced up at the giant. "You don't have these sorts of problems, do you, big guy? You're happy as long as you have your puzzles."

"Friends shouldn't be taken lightly," Lexeaus whispered. "You should keep them close. Sometimes, they're the only thing you need most of all. The jealousy that comes with love is what drives friends apart."

Axel pondered the giant's philosophy a moment. He remembered a locket he kept hidden in his hair. It had been a gift from Roxas years past; his photo on one side and Roxas on the other. He jumped from his seat.

_Enough following orders. I'm doing things my way._ He smiled at Lexaeus. "Thanks, Lex, I owe you one." He shot off. Lexaeus smiled to himself.

"You heard?" he eyed the shadows.

"I did," Zexion came from the kitchen. "Xemnas won't be pleased with this scheme."

"He has the princess on a string. You know it."

"Yeah. And if Roxas continues to get involved…Saïx, Vexen, Marluxia, and Luxord are under his belt. Xaldin and Xigbar won't take sides. If the rest of us don't do something, everything will fall apart."

Axel busted through the bars into Roxas' room. The pale, blond mer-boy illuminated the darkness as though a ghost. He knelt over him.

"It's okay, buddy," he whispered. "I'm here for you." Roxas rolled over to see his friendly smile. "You can't leave the organization, yet."

"Leave me alone," Roxas whispered weakly, sleepily. He rolled over on his side, staring off in a daze – as though in a trance. "No one would miss me." Axel rolled him back over – Roxas' eyes widening.

"That's not true!" He held Roxas' face in his hands. "I would…" He kissed his forehead.

Xion peeked into the room. A smile spread across her face. She went to the kitchen and reported to Larxene.

"Nice going, kid," she thanked her.


	7. Humans, Mermaid Tails, and the Deal

Kairi sat in the palace library among the many scrolls she and her sisters studied. Ansem went to her side at Aerith's request.

_"After finding that prince," Aerith explained, "she's become depressed again. Talk to her, please. She can always talk to you."_

"Kairi," his fatherly side showing. She turned to him. "How are you?"

"Fine, Father." He sat down beside her.

"Is there anything on your mind? You can always talk to me about anything." Kairi pondered a moment whether to tell, took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye.

"Well…humans…"

"What about humans?"

"If they don't drown, can humans live forever?"

"Yes, they can." He got up from his seat, smiling. "Follow me." He led her to the restricted part of the library.

Along the walls were shelves upon shelves of human books on philosophy, mythology, and religion. Tapestries hung in random places, statues of deities scattered themselves with mythological creatures and legendary heroes.

"You see, my child, humans must die eventually; everything dies. However, their lifespan is shorter than our own. We can live three hundred years before we cease to exist."

"What happens to our kind when we die?"

"We become a part of the sea. We become the foam that greets the land and travels on the waves. There is no grave for our kind. We are not immortal souls. Once we die, we can never live again."

"I don't understand."

"Let me explain it a different way." They stepped to an open window. Ansem pulled her close and pointed to the garden. Below, the girls tried their best to tame the wild jungle. "Our souls are like the seaweed that grows throughout the many seas. Once it is cut, it cannot flourish in pieces."

"Then, how do humans –?"

"I am getting to that. As in religion, a human soul can live forever." He turned and pulled a book of its shelf, opening to a beautifully painted picture. "Their body may die and turn to dust, but their soul rises to a place beyond the stars. Just as we rise to the land, they to a region unknown." She stared at the picture.

"So, we have no immortal soul?" she sighed and looked out at the dancing sun. "I'd give up hundred of years of my life to know the happiness that lies beyond the stars."

"Do not say such things," he begged. He knelt to her eyes, taking her hands. "Kairi, here we are happy and better off than the humans."

"Then, when I die and become the foam of the sea, I will be driven by the current, unable to hear the music of the waves and see the flowers of the land nor the twilight, burning sun. Is there any way to win an immortal soul?" He shook his head.

"No, my child. Not unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless…through love."

"Love?"

"If a human were to love you more than a mother or father, and his thoughts were fixed on you alone. And…"

"And? Please, tell me more."

"If he were to take you before a priest and promise you the happiness of mankind. He can give you a soul and retain his as well." His face turned to sympathy, for his next words, he knew, would break her heart. "However, this can never be, my child."

"Why, father?"

"Your tail, though it sparkles like royal starlight, is only considered beautiful here. To have the features of a fish is ugliness to humans."

"Ugly? Because of my tail?" Bubbles came to her eyes.

"Do not cry. They do not know any better." He replaced his book with another full of paintings of gods, goddesses, and humans. "They believe it necessary for beauty to come with two tails. Humans call them legs.

"Legs?" She studied the pictures closely, tracing the women's legs with her fingers.

"But I ask you, Kairi," he touched her cheek, "be happy in the years you have as you are. You still have many more to go." He smiled and hugged her. "Another celebration nears. Do enjoy it, child. There is still time." He kissed her forehead and they left with her in his arms.

* * *

Roxas slowly gained his appetite back. Axel went to him day after day, trying to bring him from the darkness. The color steadily returned to his skin, and muscle back around her bones.

"So," Roxas said. "You admit you were wrong?"

"I do," he replied, blushing. "I was wrong to get you in trouble, but you need to keep things on the down-low."

"Kairi loves that boy. I want to help her, but I don't want to hurt her."

"That's a tough one." Suddenly, the door opened, Xigbar with drinks.

"Little men, feeling better?" he asked.

"What are you doing here, Xigbar?" Axel asked.

"Came to party. Xemnas said tonight's the night."

"What night?" Axel took a bottle, Roxas catching his. "What the hell is tonight?"

"The kingdom's anniversary ball. Xemnas won't tell what he's planning, but you know it's going to be a good night." The clink of bottles and a singing, drunken Xigbar left the room. Roxas threw the untouched bottles away.

"Hey."

"This is no time to get drunk," Roxas said. "We have to find out what's going on. Kairi could be in danger." He grabbed Axel's arm and they bolted out the door.

"Why do you care so much about that little girl?"

"I don't know why, I just do."

"You can't care about someone without a reason." The boy took off down the hall, running into Luxord. "Roxas!"

"You're not supposed to be out of your room," he grabbed Roxas' shoulder. "And you…"

"I tried to stop him." Luxord pushed him into Axel.

"Make sure he goes back." They made sure Luxord was gone before talking again.

"Sorry, pal."

"It's okay," Roxas breathed. "I'll go back, but promise me Kairi won't be hurt."

"I'll do my best; that's all I can promise." Roxas nodded and vanished into the darkness. He looked out toward the city. "What are you planning, Xemnas?"

"Axel," Saïx ordered. "You're on duty tonight."

"Tonight?"

"That's right. Superior's orders." He handed over a scroll of parchment. "These are your instructions. You are to depart as soon as possible, alone."

"Alone?"

"You heard me. Good evening."

Xion peeked around the corner and approached Axel cautiously.

"Axel," she called. He turned to her.

"You're the new girl. Xion, right?"

"How is he?"

"Roxas? He's back on his feet." He paused to look her over. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." She bowed. "Thank you for looking after him." With that, she swam off for open water. A pendant swung around her neck as she moved – she wore no shell.

* * *

Kairi prepared for the party, each of the girls helping the others. They sorted through their human treasures; her father's words still fresh in her mind.

"Would you like some help?" Tifa asked.

Her older sister's oaken locks had been tied back into a high, long ponytail decorated in pearls, starfish and urchins. A glossy lipstick and bright blush brought out her face. Streamers of flowers wrapped around her tail.

"Yes, please," she sighed.

"What's bothering you?" Tifa asked. She took the ruby thread in hand, brushing the silk. "You seem troubled."

"Not seem, good sister. I am. Ever since talking with Father, my heart is being torn between land and sea."

"How so?"

"I can't explain it exactly, but may I ask you something?"

"Certainly."

"Is my tail ugly?"

"Your tail?! Ugly?! Kairi, your tail is the most beautiful I've ever seen. Your scales are a magnificent shade of lavender; they glitter in any light; and…let's just say any merman would want you. Why would you ask such a question?"

"Humans find it ugly."

"You still love him, don't you?"

"Father said that the only way for me to be with him is if he loves me in return. He can't love me unless he sees me, and if he sees me, I'd be revealing our world." Bubbles came to her eyes.

"Don't cry, little sister. If it must be that you cannot reveal yourself to him, so be it. Give up on him and find a new heart to treasure." She kissed Kairi's cheek. "There. Beautiful." The ruby locks were draped in pearls and glass beads, flowers standing at the source. No make-up was needed for her face. A braid or two appeared beside her ears. "Come, now. Let us enjoy the night."

* * *

Kairi watched the party from afar. When asked to sing, she sang. After her third performance, she retreated to the garden. She sat beside her marble prince close to tears.

"Oh, Sora…if only I could be beside you tonight. Sadly, I never will. If I give up on you, will you continue to search for me?"

"Knowing boys in love, they don't give up," came a voice. She looked around, finding a shadow among the trees.

"Who's there?"

"Name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

"Axel?"

"You're the girl Roxas keeps talking about."

"Roxas?" He swam up and looked into her eyes.

"You want to be with your prince that much?"

"I wish to give my heart to him."

"Then," he backed off with a smile, "I can help you."

"How?"

"You remember a man by the name Xemnas, right?"

"Xemnas…"

He led her to the Dark Reef. The colors of the sea darkened and disappeared around them. The fish became transparent – the plants sinister. Kairi changed her pace.

_"Yeah. He used to be your father's apprentice. Any skill he has he learned from him."_

_"So, my father could help me."_

_"If not for the fact that he doesn't wish to lose his youngest flower." Axel circled her, plucking a flower off her head. "You want to become human, don't you?"_

_"Yes." He held out his hand._

_"Then, follow me."_

Through the smokestacks and spiked mountains, they stopped before a black castle. She stared in wonder at its many towers and archways. He took her hand and pulled her along. Greeting them were the other ten members of the Organization. Two lines created a path to the front gate.

"Stay with me," he advised. "Don't wander off." He let her go; she followed close to him down a long hallway and to a room lined with books and ingredients. Axel bowed and exited.

"Come closer, child," a voice cooed to her. It sang, inviting her in. She rounded a corner to find the man she'd been looking for. "Welcome, Kairi. I have been expecting you."

"You're Xemnas," she said. "I remember you from the party. You were the one –"

"Quiet, little flower," he cooed, circling her. "I know what you desire."

"You do?"

"I can tell – " he took a few strands of her hair and kissed them, "by the look in your eyes." She shivered and moved away.

"What can you do for me?"

"A potion that will turn you human." He went to his station – the set up like something from a science novel. "However, there are a few problems…"

"What sort of problems?"

"Well, once, you take it, you can never go back to being a mermaid. You will remain a human for the rest of your fishy life."

"I'd gladly give up my tail and my life in the sea." He smirked, glancing back at her.

"Is that your final answer?" She nodded. "Very well. Let us begin."

The ingredients flew off the shelves as he sang a haunting melody. The room changed colors with the glistening fire. The mixture transformed from dust to liquid and back again. After a few minutes, a small bowl held an orange liquid.

"The final ingredient," he whispered, pulling out a dagger, "to complete the spell." Black blood dripped from his palm into the bowl. Finally, he showed her a small bottle of ivory mist. "This is all you need."

"That? That's all?" He nodded. "Thank –" He pulled it away.

"Hold on. There is payment required."

"Payment? But…" She pulled the beads and pearls from her hair. "All I have are these."

"Diamonds and pearls cannot pay for this little trinket. Oh no, my dear." Roxas and Axel watched from the shadows of a hidden passage.

"I don't have anything else to pay with."

"But you do, child." He touched her chin. "You can pay with your voice." Her eyes widened. She backed into a wall, confused, holding her throat. He followed her.

"My voice." His finger touched her throat.

"Those pipes that can string a melody from bubbles; the songwriter who can bring a man to his knees by uttering a syllable; and when she is silent, the sea suffers with her." He went to a curtained room.

"But, without my voice, how will I -?"

"There are other ways to woo a man without speech, dear flower." He returned with a piece of parchment. "If we be in agreement, all you have to do is sign and you will have your potion." He produced a pen, unfurling the parchment. "Do we have a deal?"

She pondered a moment.

"Don't do it," Roxas whispered.

She swallowed her fear, grabbed the pen and signed. Xemnas smirked, pulling out his dagger once more. He grabbed her face and sliced out her tongue. She stumbled back in terror, heartache, and shock. Bubbles spilled from her eyes. He knelt before her holding up the draught.

"Now, it is done. Do not drink this draft until you are on the surface world, otherwise you will drown."

"You bastard," Roxas screamed, shooting from the passage. He grabbed Kairi and carried her away like any fairytale prince, Axel on his tail. Xemnas' laugh followed them out.


	8. Letter from the Author

Hello, Readers and Fans.

Sorry I've been gone so long. Been very busy in the real world.

Unfortunately, Mermaid's Love Song will continue to be on hiatus

until I can retrieve the original document from my stupid hard drive

that doesn't like me. I cannot rewrite this piece without revamping

it entirely, which you guys seem to like it as it is now.

In the meantime, I'll be putting up some other work I hope you'll

enjoy and I'm always looking for ideas. Any you wish to provide,

I am happy to do request pieces; their length, however, is undetermined.

I hope you all continue to watch for updates and enjoy what is to come.

NamineLovedTheDream


	9. Update from the Author

Attention all readers...

I know you have all been patiently waiting for the next chapter of Mermaid's Love Song. I have good news and bad news to report.

Good: I managed to find a completed copy of the story. I will have to go through and edit Xion back in due to it being the original version without her.

Bad: It will take me time because of the re-re-editing around my current job and being computerless (as in for my own personal use).

Good: Once I rehash, you will be seeing updates gradually. Plus, I have some new stuff I want to try out on you guys.

Always appreciate feedback. Pass around the story for all to enjoy.

Another note: I have a YouTube account and I'm looking for voices for an audio addition of the story. If you wish to submit an audition, they won't be starting til after the New Year. So, I'll get back to you on that.

Happy Holidays! ~Sincerely, the Author.


	10. Part of HIS World

Kairi still clutched the bottle as they snuck into the palace garden. The castle was quiet, dark, and still. Axel and Roxas helped her to the bench under her tree, all three still in shock.

"What now?" Axel asked.

"Kairi, listen to me," Roxas sweetly said, seeing he was eye to eye with her. "It's best you leave tonight." She opened her eyes, her tears of pain halted. "You may not like it, but it's your best option; your only option." He took her hands in his. "You had better say – give final farewells before going to the surface. We'll take you."

She nodded, and silently went to her room and her father's to say good-bye. She left gifts for her sisters, kissed her father, and left with Axel and Roxas.

"What do we do now?" Roxas looked over to Axel. "What now that we have betrayed Xemnas?"

"Well, buddy," Axel sighed, "looks like we're on our own."

They found their way to the palace, dawn not yet on the horizon. Kairi allowed the waves to beach her on the sand; Roxas sat beside her. Tears streamed down her face.

"Don't be afraid, Princess," Roxas assured her. "Axel and I will be here for you. I promise."

She nodded, wiped away her tears, and opened the vial. In one gulp, the icy-suffocating-piercing-liquid mist engulfed her. She fell into a comatose sleep. Roxas remained at her side through the night.

* * *

Riku jumped over carts and obstacles on his way to the palace. Sore was awake and there to meet him. A festival was coming to life through the town. Banners and flags draped across homes, shops and lamps in colors of gold and white. People talked and sang and smiled at the idea crossing their minds. Sora hung his head, not wanting to think about the preparations around him.

"What's on your mind?" Riku asked. "You should be happy."

"What have I to celebrate?"

"An engagement isn't worth celebrating?"

"It's not official, yet."

Roxas awakened to the voices. He scrambled to the water, watching from the rocks. The boys passed the beach without a second glance. He let loose a tune, catching Sora's ear.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what, Sora?" Sora went to the wall and searched the sea. His eyes fell on Kairi.

"Look! There's a girl down there!" He hopped over, tumbled down to the beach, and rushed to her side. Riku rushed over, having taken a set of stone steps. Sora held her in his arms. "Hey, miss. Are you alive? Please be alive."

Kairi opened her eyes, gazing into the liquid pools before her. The spark in his eyes forced her to look away. Her eyes suddenly widened. She realized she no longer had her tail. Just as Xemnas had said: she had slender, pearl-cream skinned legs. Looking over her body, she realized she was completely naked, turned away, and attempted to cover herself – blushing a bright shade of pink. Sora removed his coat and placed it over her. She turned back to him, feeling the sorrow of her lost voice.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he asked. She shook her head. In her hand the bottle remained, now empty of its poison. She stood quickly, threw it into the sea, and fell on her face. "Careful!" Sora helped her sit up. "You must have been lost at sea." Kairi slowly got to her feet with the boys at her sides. "Let's get you some clothes and a good meal."

Every step she took was walking on pins, glass, or coals without blood nor burns. Roxas watched until she was out of sight. Axel returned, having vanished in the night.

"Well?" Roxas asked.

"Xemnas has the crew looking for us," he reported. "And the kingdom's off its rocker with her missing."

"We have to tell them she's safe."

"Question is: will they believe us?"

"They won't have much choice." They dove below. "We'll be telling the truth."

"Survey says: slim chance they'll believe us."

"Don't say that."

"We don't have the kid to back us up."

"We won't need her; so long as Xemnas doesn't catch us first – "

"Rox, hold on." Axel grabbed his wrist. "Give me your communicator. We _have _to get rid of them."

"Why?" Axel pulled the shells from around Roxas' neck and his.

"With these, Xemnas can hear everything we're saying. More importantly, he can find us – wherever we may be." He took a rock from the floor and smashed them. The spiral shells shattered; a trickle of magic evaporated before their eyes. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Kairi was surrounded by servant girls and boys to aid her and keep her company. Three young women moved around her, fitting her into a new dress. When the girls sang, she sighed deeply.

_If only I could sing,_ she sighed. _My songs, my people's melodies, would cause any of them to fall silent._

"Miss," Riku directed at her. He entered the room after the fitting. "We will be on the town tonight. Would you care to join us?" She nodded; Riku smiled and held out his hand.

The shoes she wore felt as the oysters had on her tail. She bore the pain remembering what her sisters had taught: **Beauty comes with a price.**

_If humans find legs beautiful, _she reminded herself, _then I must bear it._

Sora sat on the steps outside the ballroom. He took her hand and led her into town with Riku at their heels. Music and laughter filled the streets. People danced, drank, ate and entertained. Leon and Cloud watched from a nearby wall for the boys. The three pushed through the crowd, Kairi stumbling a little.

"You two are late," Leon teased. "Who is this young lady?"

"Uh…well…" Sora tried to think. Kairi turned to Riku, took his hand, and spelled her name with a smile.

"Kairi?" Riku repeated; she nodded. "Kairi." Sora looked to his friend. "Her name is Kairi."

"Pleased to meet you," Cloud kissed her hand.

"Pleasure, m'lady," Leon did the same.

"How do you know?" Sora whispered.

"She told me," Riku explained. "Well, spelled it, I guess. I think she may be mute."

"But, I can hear just find." Cloud and Leon laughed.

"Not that sort of mute," Cloud explained. "It means she's unable to dictate any words." Kair lowered her gaze. Riku placed his hands on hers.

"Don't worry," he assured her. "Enjoy yourself."

Kairi had been to many festivals, but only those of her kingdom. The celebrations of the surface world fascinated her. Humans danced different dances, played and sang different tunes. Her feet began to react to these new melodies. Riku noticed and offered his hand. "Would you care to dance?" She nodded, took his hand, and followed him to the circle.

They swayed and twirled around the circle. People stopped to watch. She twirled away, dancing on her own. Only the musicians played on as the lanterns were lit. Her eyes partially open – her spins and steps placed onlookers in a trance. Sora's eyes widened in amazement. He took her hand and became part of the dance. Kairi looked into his eyes and allowed him to take the lead. As the song ended, she returned from her dreamland; the crowd clapped and cheered, Sora kissed her hand.

"I've never seen such talent," he said over the cheers. "Leon," the teachers approached, "we need a room for our guest." He smiled to her. "You are staying, aren't you?" She nodded and threw her arms around him.


End file.
